see you later. >> reporter: but then chris christie, a potential presidential candidate who is rarely at a loss for words, departed the nation's capital in near total silence. as it turns out, the new jersey governor's quest for money to rebuild the battered shoreline may be waiting for another fiscal cliff. in other words, bad timing. >> there's a chance that any of this could get caught up in the fiscal cliff talks. >> it doesn't come at an opportune time because of the fiscal cliff, both the talks and the idea we're short of money. traditionally, what this country has done is treated disaster separately. >> senators from the storm ravaged states believe the obama administration will propose roughly $50 billion in relief, far short of what the states want, $82 billion. >> is there that kind of money lying around? >> certainly not that kind of money lying around. it's such a complex time right now we're dealing with a host of issues. we're going over the fiscal cliffs. >> senator susan collins are facing budget cuts they would like to pay for the storm cleanup. the uncertain fate of